With the EA immature, many would wonder why the number of Enterprise and Business architects is on the increase. Nevertheless, what do they deliver and what do they do to justify the demand?

Most do their best to model the IT departing from a capability list or a value chain. But they haven't much to go on since there is no comprehensive framework to aid them. Too often business architects are required to use TOGAF... which is an IT approach.

Typically then, every architect uses their own ad hoc EA method, made of a collection of own practices coming from a wide area of sources. Consequently, results vary from one architect to another.

To answer the question though, EA architects, as surveys proved in the past, are demanded for their wide expertise in IT and are employed in solution architecture design and review, transformation of the IT landscape and not least, IT strategy. But still, that's no EA.

Many experienced practitioners enter the EA field assuming they know all there is to know. That's why the number of EAs is on the increase. The entry barrier is so low because everybody thinks that what they do is already enterprise architecture. But while waiting for a true EA framework to come, architects improvise, that is do what they can to document bits and pieces of the enterprise and its strategy which is as good as it can get.

The architect is not the one that knows everything about the enterprise IT though. That would be your IT veteran. Since many business or even IT practitioners have been in the enterprise for long, they know the enterprise and its problems. But they are not your EA. The software developer, the IT all arounder.. are not your EA.

Too often the "Enterprise" in the EA term translates into experience in the enterprise IT, while "Architect" into a senior IT employee.

With the EA so immature, many would wonder why the number of Enterprise and Business architects is on the increase. What do they deliver though and what do they do that justify the increase?

Most do their best to model either the IT or the business. But they have not much to go on since there is no comprehensive framework to aid them. Hence, business architects are required to use TOGAF... which is an IT approach.

But, typically, every architect uses their own ad hoc EA method made of a collection of own practices coming from a wide area of sources. Consequently ,results vary from one architect to another.

To answer the question though, EA architects are simply employed for their wide expertise in IT, solution architecture design and review, transformation of the IT landscape, strategy specification and not least, IT strategy.

Still, many experienced practitioners enter the EA field assuming they know all there is to know. That's why the number of EAs is on the increase. The entry barrier is so low because everybody thinks that what they do is already enterprise architecture. But while waiting for a true EA framework to come, architects improvise, that is do what they can to document bits and pieces of the enterprise.

The EA is neither the candidate that knows everything about the enterprise IT. That would be your IT veteran. Since many business or even IT practitioners have been in the enterprise for long, they know the enterprise and its problems. But they are not your EA.

To often the "Enterprise" in EA translates into Experience in the enterprise IT, while "Architect" in EA, into a senior IT employee.

What an Enterprise Architect should understand is the generic enterprise structure and operation, its key processes and technologies. Given the EA state today, an EA architect should create and employ an own methodology to document the integrated blueprint of the enterprise and the principles that support its transformation.

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Adrian is a recognized Executive Consultant in Enterprise Strategy & Architecture. He has over 20 years experience working in digital media, telecoms, health insurance, airlines, utilities and government developing new EA practices and managing teams in an international environment. He's published several
books and runs a prominent website
EA Matters.